The Great Below
by Lennith
Summary: Although they had gone their seperate ways, Cliff comes back to Elicoor II on a "hunch." Albel, still bitter about being abandoned by his friends, doesn't care to take the visit so lightly... Yaoi! CliffAlbel, MM
1. The Spoils of a Wasted Life

**Title:** The Great Below

**Author:** Lennith

**Rating:** R, just to be safe. It will be more or less soft for a few chapters, but expect mature themes, kiddies.

**Pairing:** CliffAlbel

**Disclaimer**: Although I am a huge fan of all the Star Ocean games and manga, I have nothing to do with their creation! I make no money off of this! The only purpose in writing this fic is to release my own demons. So sue me if you want. I'll only plead insanity XD

**Warnings:** This fic is YAOI! Man on man action. Chances are, if you don't know the term yaoi just leave now. Although I enjoy throwing my crazy ideas out there into the fiction world, I don't want to be responsible for melting the brains of innocents. This fic has mature themes: violence, nudity, possible gore, definite language, and SEX.

**A/N: **Wow! I'm finally leaving my comfort zone of Scryed yaoi! Ahem, anyway! I've been a fan of Star Ocean for a loooooong time! I was utterly hooked on SO2 for a very long time. I think I played the game over at least 3 times, and I hardly ever play video games. I was hesitant at first to play Star Ocean: Till the End of Time because I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as SO2, but I was wrong and loved it! Now, I know that there are a lot more hardcore slash canon for CliffFayt and AlbelFayt, but I am a big fan of subtleties, and there is most certainly subtle yet strong hints at CliffAlbel in the game. Rather than write a whole essay on what I've noticed, I'll shut up now XD If anyone wants me to tell, just ask in a review or contact me. This is what would be classified as a song-fic, I guess. The song is "The Great Below" by NIN. There's also a great deal of flashback material in this story. Flashbacks will be typed in italics!

Ixi

The Spoils of a Wasted Life. 

_Staring at the sea  
will she come?  
is there hope for me  
after all is said and done_

_Anything at any price  
all of this for you  
all the spoils of a wasted life  
all of this for you_

Cliff lounged lazily in the shade of a tree overlooking the sea. Although his mind slowly spun with thoughts and anxieties the day was drowsy and warm. It was good to be back on Elicoor II again, especially since for once it was at peace. He had been fairly certain that he wouldn't see it again. As head of Quark again he was an indescribably busy man. This was the first time he'd ignored all his duties and simply run off on his own to give himself a break. He simply had so many requests that he had to ignore many of them because he couldn't be everywhere in the universe at once, even with new improvements on space travel.

The clouds passed through the sky serenely, unburdened by responsibility. Cliff raised his eyes from the sea to watch them. Why had he chosen Elicoor II? He could have gone to some deserted planet closer to where he'd been. The answer he'd been trying to repress rose to the surface again, unbidden.

ixi

"_So, you're leaving then, worm?"_

_Cliff looked up from his packing, uneasiness settling like a brand upon his chest. Albel was standing in his doorway, glaring at him through lidded lashes. His body language spoke of only indifference, but Cliff new better. He could feel the anger and hatred focusing on him like twin laser beams._

"_I have to. With Maria gone I have to take my place as leader of Quark," Cliff said, tucking a shirt into the bag and abandoning the packing. He rose to his feet with a fluid movement to meet Albel on equal ground. "You don't want to come this time?" He toed the ground nervously. He'd been expecting some sort of confrontation since he'd first made the decision to leave. He'd rather Albel simply insulted him and started a fight. Fighting was about the only thing the two could seem to agree on._

_Albel snorted with indignation. "And what purpose would I serve in Quark? You think I'm going to take orders from you and be your soldier? Keep dreaming, ox."_

_Cliff smiled broadly, though he could feel his spirits steadily sinking. "Well, you could. You have good instincts and I could use someone with your talents."_

_Albel's eyes narrowed. "You know I'm more needed here. I can't leave and simply let the Aquarians overrun the continent."_

_Cliff nodded mutely in agreement. "Nel's a good woman, but pretty sneaky. Keep an eye on her for me."_

_Somehow this made Albel angry. He lunged forward and grabbed Cliff by the collar, thumb grazing over his Clausian tattoo. "She's special to you, huh? If she comes my way I'll tear her pathetic heart out of her chest," he hissed, eyes flaring dangerously. Cliff smirked easily. They both knew Albel was no match for Cliff when it came to brute strength. The lanky warrior of Kirlsa depended on speed, agility and his sword in a fight. Without warning Cliff grasped Albel's shoulders and closed the distance between them to place a fierce kiss to the wide mouth before him. Albel struggled violently at first, as he always did, but eventually succumbed. Well, succumbed is a strong word. No matter how much effort Cliff ever put into it, Albel's body remained stiff and wary. When Cliff finally pulled away he was rewarded with a stinging slap to the side of his face._

"_You're absolute filth, you know that?" Albel hissed to him. "I should castrate you where you stand! How dare you do this to me and then leave!"_

_Cliff rubbed his cheek tenderly. The man was slight, but he certainly packed a good wallop. He wasn't sure exactly what Albel meant by 'do this to me' but he allowed his optimistic spirits to hope. "And what have I done to you, Albel? You've caused just as much injury to me as I have to you."_

"_Just shut up and go already!" Albel yelled at him. He attempted to flee but Cliff caught him by his slim wrist. "Let me go," he demanded icily._

"_Remember that place? I'll be waiting for you there," Cliff said steadily though his feelings were anything but._

_Albel gave him an accusing glare of disbelief and broke out of the grip. "Just leave my sight," he said in a very low and broken tone._

_Cliff sat on his cot as Albel left the room in a blur of violet and a swish of bound hair. He felt oddly numb. He wanted the pleasure of simply punching the wall, but it would be impolite to leave the room with holes in it. He cursed under his breath, kicking the bag at his feet away. As he stared at the ceiling he wondered how it had come to this and what had come to pass at all. The ceiling offered him no new answers._

_When the time came for Cliff to leave, Albel stood alongside the other Elicoorians but refused to even look at the Clausian, standing still and cold and unearthly as a marble statue._

ixi

Leaving that day had been difficult. It had been different when Maria, Fayt and Sophia had gone. He knew Maria and Fayt could take care of themselves and Fayt would protect Sophia. Peppita had gone back to her family and Roger to his. Mirage had left before him, annoyed at his delay in returning to command and gone to take care of things herself. But what would Albel do? The closest things to friends he had were all leaving him behind with a broken country to help string together. Even that wouldn't be able to occupy him, since the King and Queen of Airyglyph would be doing most of the work. He was simply a tool, a sword to lead an army.

Cliff flipped open his communicator and checked the time with obvious boredom. It'd already been two hours and he had no idea how long he intended to simply laze about under the tree, the Eagle hidden in a copse of denser forest a couple dozen meters away. His eyes wandered back to the glittering water and he had to grin at himself. What the hell did he think he was doing, ditching his position on the Diplo and spending hours doing absolutely nothing on a backwater planet like Elicoor II? He tousled his blonde hair with a low chuckle. "I guess I had to admit I wanted to check on him," he said to himself.

A slight scuff of earth betrayed an otherwise silent approach. "… Only a sentimental fool like you would actually be waiting here," Cliff heard a familiar but long-unheard voice taunt from behind him and to his left.

"And only an arrogant jerk like yourself would assume I was waiting here," Cliff returned the insult, though it lacked venom. He got to his feet slowly, brushing the dirt off his black chaps before turning around.

Albel only snorted. He stood stiffly as ever, his arms crossed over the flat planes of his chest. Cliff noted with the raise of a bow that he wasn't in his usual purple spandex getup. He was wearing instead a full bodysuit of sandy colored, closely tailored gold cloth with a fluttering white scarf shielding his face and another bound tightly around his waist. "I was about to set out on a mission to Mosel, but the approach of a spacecraft seemed far more interesting," he explained at Cliff's obvious surprise to the outfit. "Now I see that I was wrong." He started to turn away, but never finished. He just stood there, one eye pinned on the Clausian and standing perfectly still.

"And here I thought you'd come to this place hoping I'd be here," Cliff sighed with a teasing lilt in his voice. He walked a few steps until he was standing in front of Albel, the two men regarding each other silently a moment. "You don't have to look so pissed off, Albel. Can't an old friend drop by from time to time?" he finally blurted out, growing more and more irritated with Albel's obvious distaste for him by the minute.

"When were we ever friends?" Albel asked back with nearly acidic coldness.

Cliff pulled up his right hand as if strike the shorter man but checked himself. He reached it out as if to touch him, but restrained himself before he could again. With a frustrated growl he let his hand drop to his side. Albel's smirk of triumph was only slightly veiled by the light linen bound around his face. It was only meant to ward off sand, after all.

"Damn it, Albel," Cliff finally managed in an broken but restrained voice, "I just needed a little time off and thought I'd check in on you. If you don't want my company, which you certainly don't seem to, I'll happily hitchhike to Aquaria and stay in a comfortable room in the castle."

To only fuel his fury Albel's response was to continue to glare at him, still unmoving. "Follow me," he finally said, relaxing his arms and finishing the turn he'd started before. Cliff gaped at his back, mouth hanging open. He wasn't sure if he should be gloating that he'd won or pounding Albel to a pulp for being such a cold bastard. Figuring that either of these responses would have probably left him bruised and alone, he settled for a small smile before following Albel, who obviously had no intention of waiting around for him.

"Where we going?" Cliff asked conversationally, using his longer stride to catch up and walk next to the shorter man. He knew perfectly well that the nearest town was Aria, but Albel wasn't heading its direction.

Albel spared his companion a lazy glance. "We're going straight to Kirlsa," he muttered, continuing his quick but easy pace.

Cliff raised a brow. "Why not stop in Aria first? You're welcome enough in Aquarian territory."

Albel looked annoyed at the question but didn't care to provide an answer. Of course he would be welcomed there, it almost irritated him the way that the Aquarians doted on him whenever he stopped in one of their towns. He was more concerned that if Cliff were spotted there that he'd be immediately invited to meet with Claire. And then the stupid Aquarians were sure to have some dire situation or another and needed Cliff's help. And that would be the end of their time together. Not that Albel wanted to spend time with Cliff, mind you. He glanced again at Cliff's profile. He hadn't seemed to have changed at all. All Albel wanted was some answers first before handing him over to those pesky females. That seemed to be a good enough excuse to settle his mind and convince himself he wasn't avoiding giving Cliff up. The whole situation still annoyed him though, so he wasn't going to pretend he was enjoying it.

Cliff, on the other hand was beginning to doubt his impulsive visit. So far his hunch hadn't led him to much. But he'd found Albel and he could be a very patient man.

To be continued…

**A/N:** Gyaaaaah. This is harder than I thought XD Albel's such a hardass lovehugshim It just awkward writing about these two because they're so complicated! Haha, I hope I did alright. Any comments or suggestions are welcome!


	2. For all we could have done and all that ...

**Title:** The Great Below

**Author:** Lennith

**Rating:** R, just to be safe. It will be more or less soft for a few chapters, but expect mature themes, kiddies.

**Pairing:** CliffAlbel

**Disclaimer**: Although I am a huge fan of all the Star Ocean games and manga, I have nothing to do with their creation! I make no money off of this! The only purpose in writing this fic is to release my own demons. So sue me if you want. I'll only plead insanity XD

**Warnings:** This fic is YAOI! Man on man action. Chances are, if you don't know the term yaoi just leave now. Although I enjoy throwing my crazy ideas out there into the fiction world, I don't want to be responsible for melting the brains of innocents. This fic has mature themes: violence, nudity, possible gore, definite language, and SEX.

**A/N: **Eee, writing CliffAlbel is so fun... I was surprised to find there are actually quite a few CliffAlbel fics out there, but sadly I feel like a lot of them just don't quite hit Albel's character on the head He really is such a complicated beastie! Even Cliff's reaction to him is hard! It sucks to be me, because I try to put a lot of time, thought and effort into doing my best to keep my characters IC. It's so haaaaard! Ah well, even if not too many people are reading this, I'll keep at it! Heck, I'm used to it XD I write Scryed yaoi. I'd also like to inform my fellow perverts that this fic is available on I almost wonder why I bother with at this point. I have a first-class ticket to hell and I adore lemons. I hate having to edit them all out for ffnet! Erm, yes. Thank you to my lovely reviewers!

**Cheza-Chan:** Haha! Yeah, I admit it. I have full intention to make this a full, short chaptered fic… I want to mess with them more! I have a lot more to tell! Haha, thank you for your support! You MUST show me your drabble! KUKUKUKU!  
**DracoDormiens7:** Eeee! tacklehug! You know, as I was skimming ffnet, yours was the only SO fic that interested me! Since you asked me to read it, of course I did! And might I add, bravo! You know, it's crazy but I actually toyed with the idea of Vox sexual abuse as well? I definitely agree that there's something seriously twisted between those two. shivers I'm glad I decided not to include that in this particular fic. My hat goes off to you for braving those waters. I'll email you for sure when I have a chance!  
**Kaorustalker30:** As soon as I read your comment I started working on this chapter! "Perfect blend of insult, nastiness, and vulnerability - in short, I loved it." Agh, you have no idea how wonderful it feels to not only have a reader understand what you were going for, but also tell you you hit it dead on. I was feeling a little discouraged because though I was really excited about this fic I wasn't getting much of a reaction to it. Welp, like it or not, thanks to you I'm continuing it!

Just to let everyone know, this chapter contains the first citrus! Once again, if homosexuality offends you, please, do not read! Flashbacks are still in italics and between breaks of stars! Thanks for reading

Ixi

**For all we could have done and all that could have been.**

_all the world has closed her eyes  
tired faith all worn and thin  
for all we could have done  
and all that could of been_

"We're only staying here one night, so don't get too comfortable, understand me?" Albel entered the room first, immediately moving to claim his bed. Thank God all of these town inns had multiple beds. He could have gotten a room in the Storm Brigade barracks, but then he would have had to deal with a lengthy interview as to why he turned down the mission to Mosel at the very last moment. Having to deal with the Clausian had already his nerves worn too thin for him to have to deal with agitated officers.

"Alright, alright. Yeesh, you make it seem like it's my fault that there's only one room available," Cliff moaned sarcastically. He kicked off his boots haphazardly with a long sigh of content. He was getting soft being cooped up in boardrooms. It'd been a long time since his feet actually felt sore from a simple day's walk.

Albel rolled his eyes, tearing off his scarf off his face and quickly shedding the constricting gold jacket. "You asked for one room before the innkeeper even said that, maggot," he said with obvious irritation. "I'm taking a bath."

Cliff's grin suddenly tightened into a frown. "Woah, hold up!" His large hand caught the pale shoulder and spun the man around. Albel's white undershirt was clearly caked with blood in several spots. Angry, and not waiting to ask permission, Cliff quickly tugged the garment up before Albel could react. The shorter man hissed in pain, the bared flesh marked by four long gashes across the torso.

"Would you let go of me!" he snarled, suddenly desperate to just get away to the blessed solitude of the bathroom.

"MORON," Cliff spat back, just as vehemently. "What the **hell** do you think you're doing going on a mission with untreated wounds! Are you insane or just stupid?"

Albel managed to break out of Cliff's weakened grasp, took a step back and just shrugged. "They're disinfected," he said, as if that made it perfectly alright to go into an combative mission with four gaping wounds. "Now, I'm taking my bath. If I hear another word out of you I'll cut your tongue out."

Cliff sighed in exasperation, shaking his blonde head in a mixture of frustration and hopelessness. "I'm tending your wounds and then you're getting some rest. Argue with me and I'll just pick you up and tie you to the bed. Disinfected or not, you've made those cuts worse by being an idiot and walking all day without at least bandaging them."

Albel went through a quick range of emotions, from mere irritation at being babied, to being both flustered and enraged at the threat of being tied up before settling on giving a glare of absolute loathing to the man in front of him. He'd been blocking it out, but the cuts, though they weren't too deep, throbbed angrily.

"Fine, make it quick," he submitted, the words grated out through clenched teeth. He stomped to his bed, tossing the jacket that lay on it to the floor roughly and stripped off his shirt. To his relief Cliff made no snide comments and simply pulled a small device from his pocket. After plugging in the appropriate numbers a large first aid kit shimmered into existence. With another disbelieving shake of his head Cliff began to carefully dress the wounds.

_xxx_

_Albel's hand slid to the dagger beneath his pillow reflexively as his door creaked open. "Who is it," he hissed threateningly, though the slight movement caused him great pain._

_"Relax, it's me," the rich voice reassured from the darkness. Albel relaxed his position but reserved his scowl as the figure materialized in the faint blue light that emanated from the metal walls of this strange place. Just what he needed, a midnight visit from the meatheaded oaf._

_"And why, may I ask are you here?" It was a fair enough question. All of the brute's bleeding-heart friends had been snoring for hours already._

_"Because I know you hardly sleep and it's time for your wound to be redressed," Cliff answered drolly. He held up a vial of silvery fluid and a roll of bandages as an olive branch._

_The crimson eyes narrowed even further. "I'm fine. You can do it in the morning. Leave," he demanded in clipped sentences._

_Cliff obviously didn't take the point. He didn't even bat an eye as he deposited himself on the bed and started efficiently unwrapping the bandages wrapped around Albel's shoulder and chest. "Vendeeni weaponry is no joke. You're lucky you're alive. That was a damn-fool move you made today," Cliff chided. "I don't know what made you decide to do that but we all probably owe you our lives for it."_

_"Yesterday," Albel corrected absently, almost screaming in relief as the solution was dabbed on the ugly purple wound marring his shoulder, numbing the poisonous pain. He remembered the whole incident in a haze. He'd been watching the exchange between the strange looking aliens and his former temporary allies from above. The weapons pointed at the Klausian, the order to shoot. He hadn't even thought about his actions, he'd simply thrown himself into the standoff in a rage. He remembered the flash of light, tumbling towards the unforgiving ground that he'd accepted as his death. Then he only knew that somehow Cliff had caught him before he hit the ground, and that he was cradled in strong arms._

_"What are you doing!" Albel yelped, jerked out of his thoughts as Cliff's fingers started to knead the muscles around the wound._

_Cliff blinked quizzically. "I'm giving you a massage."_

_"Well, stop it and get out of here! Go rub someone else," Albel said with a rather final ring._

_To his disgust Cliff only chuckled. Oh, how he hated that sound, that completely self-assured, rumbling laughter. It made his stomach knot uncomfortably. "A massage will bring fresh blood to the deteriorated flesh and encourage your body to heal. The analeptic should take care of the pain, but if it hurts tell me."_

_"Oh," Albel replied stupidly. He still didn't much like the idea, but the treatment did ease the pained stiffness of his muscles as he felt the blood there starting to circulate again. The effect of the otherworldly weapons was frightening. The beam had only just grazed him and it'd started decomposing his body at an alarming rate. If he wanted to survive this he would have to trust the foreigners to treat the wound properly. He didn't have to enjoy it, though._

_"Would you relax already? This won't do you any good if you're tight enough to snap and trying to bore holes through me," Cliff whined, sticking his thumb between Albel's shoulder blades and twisting it, causing Albel to hiss and then sigh in relief as all the muscles in his back went lax._

_Considering he was used to those same hands being clenched into fists and aimed at him, he was surprised to find them skillful and deft. He shivered unwillingly as they moved lower to ease the muscles of the small of his back. He smacked the knee at his side disapprovingly. "I doubt those muscles have anything to do with my wound," he said, annoyed to find his voice coarse. He wasn't used to being touched and was disturbed that it actually felt good._

_"You could use it anyway. You're stiff as a plank," Cliff replied emotionlessly, continuing his treatment._

_Albel turned his head slightly, only enough to glance at the man behind him out of the corner of his eye. "What do you care?"_

_Cliff gave a small shrug of his shoulders, still not removing his hands. "If I don't, who will?"_

_Albel snorted, but gave up his protest. The combination of exhaustion, the medication and the unfamiliar, forced relaxation of his muscles left him feeling warm and his mind fogged. He could feel Cliff's breath on the back of his neck, the sensation reminding him of how close they were. His eyes drooped with uncharacteristic pleasure. A small moan escaped his lips as the skilled fingers popped one of his lumbar vertebrae, the bone slipping into its correct position. He froze in horror at the sound that he had just made and the unmistakable rush of sensation in his groin._

_"Did I hurt you?" Cliff asked anxiously, carefully removing his hands._

_Albel muttered a long strand of unintelligible curses, desperately trying to will away the steadily growing and utterly sexual tension overtaking his body. "No," he finally managed to wrench out at a volume Cliff would be able to make sense of._

_The man grinned, giving the other's good shoulder a pat of approval. "Good boy. Now turn around and I'll do your chest."_

_"No!" Albel almost yelled, catching the larger man by surprise. "I feel much better. Go get some sleep."_

_Of course now that he'd won this battle once, Cliff wasn't about to back down. "Come on, it'll do you good! There's nothing to be embarrassed about." His arms suddenly closed around Albel, not only causing the two-toned haired man to panic but also only increased his growing problem. He tried to struggle but cried out in pain as his numbed wounds protested bitterly._

_"Just leave me alone!" But it was too late. Cliff used his greater strength and weight to force Albel around. Albel's mouth fell open in utter horror and felt his face burning hotter than it'd ever been inside the lava caverns as Cliff's gaze fell directly on his thinly disguised and blossoming erection. Paralyzed with uncertainty he steeled himself for the humiliation to come._

_Cliff continued to stare for an eternity of several seconds. "Huh," he finally said, releasing some of the pressure of his grip. "Guess you are feeling much better," he said with a grin beginning to form on his handsome face. Before it could materialize Albel struck out at him viciously, the talons of his false arm leaving oozing gashes on Cliff's cheek. "What the hell are you doing!" He dabbed at his cheek, not thinking that Albel would continue his attack and rather surprised when he found himself flat on his back, pinned under Albel with the man's metal claws digging into his shoulder cruelly._

_"I asked you several times," Albel murmured dangerously, his eyes treacherously glazed with lust, "to leave me alone. Now leave while you can."_

_He felt another shiver course through his body as Cliff grinned again, this time far more predatorily. "Is it that much fun, being alone?" the Klausian asked, voice coarse. He ground his hips upwards experimentally and there was no way of denying the groan of pleasure it tore from the Elicoorian's lips. Encouraged and aroused by the response, Cliff repeated the motion, this time pinning Albel's hips down, his hands firmly gripping and massaging the leaner man's buttocks. Sparks flashed before Albel's eyes and searing emotions clouded his thoughts. He mimicked the motion and was gratified with not only another wave pleasure but also a rough growl of reciprocation from the Klausian. The vague wondering of what the hell he was doing passed fleetingly through his mind, but it passed before he could even try to grasp the significance of it. As they started to move together there was only the warm scent of the blonde's skin, the strong but gentle fingers running up his back and tangling in his blonde-tipped brown hair, and the hardness of the leather encased arousal rubbing against his own._

_He felt something warm against his lips. Cliff was kissing him, his tongue teasing over the lips that parted for him. Albel's eyes fluttered closed and his claws sunk deeper into the firm flesh beneath him as the other's tongue slipped into his mouth. The Wicked knew this taste. His body craved it as the earth craved water. Before he could think too deeply on the unsettling realization Cliff pulled back, biting at his lips teasingly. "Let me take care of you," the blonde whispered, and Albel was immediately torn between beating the man to a pulp, demanding he shut up and finish what he'd started and crying in frustration. He shouldn't be feeling this, this surge of confusing and conflicting emotions. He shouldn't be feeling anything at all. They were blissfully drowned out by the rushing of his blood in his ears as Cliff's fingers plunged below the soft linen of his sleep pants, tangling around his already seeping erection._

_xxx_

"Uh, Albel, I'm finished," Cliff's voice jarred him from his memories back to reality. Albel cursed lowly under his breath, covering his discomfort by inspecting his bandaged torso. The wounds were still sore, but the pain felt much healthier and the bandages were tight but not constricting.

Unable to face the man who'd tended to him he focused on glaring at the innocent sheets. "…Thanks," he forced out, grudgingly.

Cliff frowned slightly. He knew what the other had been thinking about and he'd been remembering the incident as well. He felt suddenly awkward, unsure of what he should do. He wanted to talk about what was or wasn't between them. The unspoken words and emotions were like a wound left to fester. He wanted to air them out, but he didn't want to risk being abandoned for the rest of his visit. With Albel it was as if he were playing with a tower of blocks. If he removed a block too quickly, or simply removed too many it'd topple and he'd have to build the whole thing up again. Inwardly kicking himself he took the safest route. He'd just let it rest for tonight. There'd be time later. "You're welcome, but please don't neglect yourself like that again."

"What do you care?" he spat, only realizing too late his poor choice of words.

Cliff smiled, his eyes softening slightly. "If I don't, who will?" Albel scowled darkly and chose not to reply. The Klausian sighed, tousling the soft brown and blonde hair innocently. "Now get some sleep, you're feverish." Albel continued to glower, but feeling suddenly overwhelmed by fatigue decided not to argue.

To his annoyance Cliff didn't look away as he rose to strip off the rest of his clothing. "Would you mind?" he asked silkily in contrast with the murderous glint in his eyes.

"Well, since you ask so sweetly," Cliff turned around with a yawn. Albel caught a glimpse of his tightly muscled back as the Klausian undressed before hastily looking away and stripping down as quickly as possible. He grumbled at the coolness of the sheets against his skin and turned on his side to face the wall.

Across the room, in the darkness Cliff glanced over at him wearily. They'd wasted so much time with this stupidity. He wondered what it was that made Albel so unwilling to just clearly express what it was he wanted. Or what it was that kept him wondering. He closed his eyes in defeat. Tomorrow would be another day, as the old Earth saying went.

To be continued…

**A/N:** slamsheadtodesk Ugh, this took me way too long. I really hope that it stayed reasonably in character… if it seems REALLY off someone please tell me and I'll redo it. Agh agh agh.


	3. Destiny of Choice

**Title:**The Great Below

**Author: **Lennith

**Rating: **Probably NC-17. Anyone who knows my work knows I am a lemon-monger and Cliff and Albel release inner kinks in me XD

**Pairing: **CliffAlbel

**Disclaimer:** Although I am a huge fan of all the Star Ocean games and manga, I have nothing to do with their creation! I make no money off of this! The only purpose in writing this fic is to release my own demons. So sue me if you want. I'll only plead insanity XD

**Warnings: **This fic is YAOI! Man on man action. Chances are, if you don't know the term yaoi just leave now. Although I enjoy throwing my crazy ideas out there into the fiction world, I don't want to be responsible for melting the brains of innocents. This fic has mature themes: violence, nudity, possible gore, definite language, and SEX.

**A/N: **Wow, I can't even begin to say how pleased I am with how this fic is being received! I've even been getting reviews indicating that I'm converting CliffFayt and AlbelFayt fans to the wonderful world of CliffAlbel! That makes me so proud! A large apology to my readers for my slowness to update. I've determined that this summer is NOT a vacation at all, and I'm horribly busy. To reassure everyone, all of my fics are still in the works! I have no intention of abandoning them! I'm expecting this fic to be rather short… At this point I'm thinking it'll be five chapters all together. BUT! If people want more, I'll write either a sequel or another fic once I'm through with it. Although I'd rather write CliffAlbel stories, if you really want me to try my hand at another pairing I'll think about it. Just drop a review with your thoughts! Thank you again to my fabulous reviewers!

Flashbacks are still in italics and between breaks! Thanks for reading

Ixi

**Destiny of Choice.**

_Ocean pulls me close br  
and whispers in my ear br  
The destiny I've chose br  
is all becoming clear_

Albel awoke with a start, becoming fully aware the moment his eyes fluttered open. His memory always lapsed as soon as he escaped the clutches of sleep, and he frowned slightly at the ceiling that greeted him mutely. It wasn't his ceiling. A mumble followed by a muffled chuckle from the other side of the room jogged his memory back into place. Pulling himself up onto an elbow he glared at the bed against the other wall of the inn room. Cliff was laying on his side neatly, facing him with one of his pillows being mercilessly squeezed in his arms. The idiot grumbled, giggled, and snored in his sleep, his blonde hair even more mussed than usual. Although the average person would have thought the great leader of Quark's compromised position to be amusing, even cute, Albel merely snorted and glared at him angrily.

He'd already awakened to this behavior once, but last time he'd been the pillow. Somehow Albel had managed to escape that suffocating grip and snuck out of his own room when the digital numbers on the wall had flashed 5:42 in lime green. He'd thought he'd escaped trouble when the man had simply rolled over and continued his grumbling, but trouble had come later that day anyway.

ixi

_"Albel, hold up a second," a clear young voice rung against the metal walls of the spacecraft._

_Albel rolled his eyes, but stopped his aimless walking, turning to face his pursuer. _

_Fayt caught up with him in a matter of seconds, a frown bordering on a scowl skewing his feminine features. _

_"What did you do to Cliff last night?" he asked, crossing his arms in disapproval._

_Albel's heart gave a treacherous thud, though he kept his face a cool, blank mask. "What do you mean?" he answered with another question. He'd only considered Cliff as a danger. He hadn't thought anyone else in their pathetic little band to notice anything, as long as Cliff didn't go about blabbing and he hadn't thought that was the Klausian's style. Heaven forbid his reputation as a ladies man be tarnished by revealing that he'd just had Albel's cock in his mouth the night before. Albel ignored the tightening in his stomach that came with the memory. _

_"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about," Fayt admonished, his voice rising with anger. "Did you think we wouldn't notice the scratches on his face! I can think of only one person on this ship who would leave that kind of mark. Not to mention the bite on his neck and bruises and scratches on his arms."_

_Albel allowed himself a broad smirk. Knowing he marked the man pleased him somehow. "That's his own fault," he replied simply, enjoying watching Fayt getting angrier by the second. _

_"He came out of your room this morning," Fayt continued lowly. "And something's bothering him. I can tell. What the hell did you do to him?" _

_Albel eyed him curiously. "Are you jealous, whelp?" he asked in a silky murmur. His sneer widened as Fayt was taken aback. He didn't care if he was admitting what he'd been hoping to hide. If Cliff was going to mess with him, he'd happily get back at him by causing trouble with Fayt, who Albel had always assumed to be Cliff's lover. That was the excuse he gave himself, anyway. Anything but to admit to himself that he was being possessive of the Klausian. _

_"W-What are you talking about?" Fayt's scowl melted into wide_-_eyed sputtering, obviously confused if Albel was implying what he thought he was. _

_Albel had the look of a satisfied cat with a belly full of canary. "I would worry more about what he did to me than what I did to him, if I were you," he purred, turning to continue his interrupted stroll down the hall. He chuckled to himself maniacally as he could hear Fayt struggling to force out a response to that. _

_'Mine.' _

_The determined word rang through his mind, though he was immediately disturbed by the thought._

_At the end of the hall a door slid open with a hydraulic whirr, a hulking figure of black leather and blonde hair stepping through it. The man hesitated when he spotted Albel, then strode quickly forward to meet him. _

_Cliff stopped a few feet ahead of Albel and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Good morning, Albel," he greeted loudly. Albel eyed him over with a smirk. It was true; his cheek had a thick strip of bandages covering the scratches and the angry mark of his bite stood out prominently against his tattooed neck. Feeling rather amiable now that he'd fucked with Fayt's head and gotten to see his handiwork, he graced the hated man with a greeting in return. _

_"Afternoon, maggot," he said sourly, wicked smirk still steadily in place. _

_Cliff frowned, his mouth a grim line. "You left this morning," he said in a quieter tone, sounding almost whiny. _

_Albel snorted. "Of course I did." With that he continued to walk down the aisle, passing the Klausian. _

_A firm grip caught his wrist, halting his progress. "We need to talk," Cliff said evenly. Albel could feel the unease and anger starting to well within the other, simply from his touch and the sound of his voice._

_The Elicoorian glanced back over his shoulder haughtily. The smirk was gone, replaced by the cold look of indifference he usually sported. "There's nothing to talk about. If you need to talk, go talk to your little… friend." He emphasized the last word with both innuendo and distaste. _

_To his pleasure Cliff's face darkened with anger, fury chiseling his face into the one that Albel enjoyed the most. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?" _

_Albel's brow furrowed, annoyed at the sharp pain in his wrist, feeling the tendons being pressed down to bone. "You're a joke. You disgust me," he said smoothly and freed himself with a sharp jerk. He continued to walk down the hall, feeling Cliff's gaze boring into his back. He made a rude gesture with his newly released hand as Cliff cursed and then left to tend to Fayt, who'd been watching the exchange from further down the hall where Albel had left him._

ixi

Albel frowned as Cliff let out an extra loud giggle. He'd been laughing too, at that moment in his memory, but the laughter hadn't lasted long. After the encounter with Fayt in the hallway, Albel's life had become one of avoidance: avoiding Fayt, avoiding Cliff, avoiding conversation, avoiding confrontations on the matter, avoiding feelings and even avoiding thoughts. Even solitude gave him no peace. Either his mind would start blabbering things he didn't want to believe or Cliff would find him. Those situations would usually lead to him being pressed against a wall and various exchanges of saliva before a fight would break out. It didn't help that his mouth had a habit of saying things he didn't want to say, either harsh words he didn't really mean or giving away what his traitorous mind had been bubbling.

"Albel…" Albel flinched, thinking that Cliff was awake but the Klausian merely mumbled a few more words and then rolled onto his back, still deeply asleep. Albel's frown deepened. This had to stop. When Cliff had been gone his mind had still been plagued by his presence, but at least he had had his solitude. But he'd come back. And he probably would again. Something had to be done.

A polite rap on the door interrupted his train of thought. With a slight hiss of annoyance Albel rose, slipped on his pants and answered the door to find a black brigade lieutenant. The underling fidgeted under his icy stare. "Albel-sama, excuse the intrusion, but there is an emergency that requires your skill," the soldier said in a rush, seeming afraid to breathe.

Albel narrowed his gaze in annoyance. It certainly hadn't taken anyone long to figure out where he was. "The mission details?"

The soldier flinched, knowing he'd been stupid not to offer them. "Here, general." The timid man passed the scroll over hurriedly.

"What's goin' on," a voice yawned from over Albel's shoulder. The soldier flushed, surprised to see his general in the company of a sculpturesque man clad in only tight black underwear. He looked from Albel to Cliff with both suspicion and fear before excusing himself in an embarrassed stutter and fled.

"Put some fucking clothes on, maggot. Now that worm has the wrong idea in his useless, empty head," Albel snarled, ripping the seal on the scroll to read the mission.

"What's wrong about the idea?" Cliff drowsed, draping himself over Albel's shoulder. The contact of their bare flesh sent a jolt down Albel's spine. He elbowed the Klausian in the stomach to cover his reaction. This had to stop before…

"Ouch, you're such a bastard. Have a little mercy, I just woke up," Cliff wheezed once he was able to breathe, rubbing his abused abs tenderly.

"Just get dressed," Albel hissed, waiting for his heart to slow and his mind to clear before he started to read the contents of the scroll.

"Don't get your panties in a knot. We're both men," Cliff huffed, but obeyed as he started to climb into his pants. A large grin spread over his face as an idea came to him. "Or is that the problem? My pheromones getting you randy, 'Bel?"

"If you value your limbs, I'd shut up now," Albel replied through gritted teeth. This just had to stop. As he read the description of the mission, a rather risky and tricky one, an idea came to him. He balled it up and tossed it into a trash bin. "How'd you like to bust some monsters?" he offered, turning to his companion.

Cliff grinned and ground his fist into his other hand. "Now you're talking. I'm in."

"Good," Albel said with a smirk in return.

ixi

"These things are actually kind of tough," Cliff grumbled, rotating his arm to loosen his muscles. The going wasn't much easier than the monsters. The two men were tramping through a rough and mostly unpopulated section of the Duggus Forest, which was freckled with steep cliffs and deep sinkholes. The forest itself was so thick that it pressed around them with an eerie feeling of claustrophobia. "I would have thought that there'd be next to no monsters, since we defeated Luther."

Albel merely grunted. "Just because this world was recreated doesn't mean that it's perfect. These things are created from the people's fear, and after what happened they have plenty of things to fear." He was searching the ground, checking the terrain carefully. After hours of putting up with Cliff's rambling and monsters constantly attacking, he found what he'd been looking for and stopped.

"I suppose you're right about that," Cliff agreed as he caught up with Albel. "What is it?" He looked around as well, though there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. "Why'd we stop?"

Albel smirked. This was it. He would soon be free. "Nothing," he said lowly, pulling Cliff close. He swallowed up what little distance was left between them and pressed his lips to the Klausian's and engaged a raw kiss. Cliff was immediately surprised, for Albel had never initiated a kiss, but after a moment returned the affection with fervor. It was no tender thing; more of a bruising of lips and a desperate clashing of tongues than a kiss as simpering females would describe it. Albel closed his eyes, allowing his heartbeat to race to a bloodlust tempo. Just this once he allowed himself to enjoy it, for it would be their last.

"Goodbye," he said silkily as he pulled back, and without further ado, shoved the larger man backwards. Cliff shouted as he found himself tumbling down a steep slope that had been hidden by the thick trees and brush. He was about to yell when he felt something tighten around his ankles. When he tried to brush it off, they only wound tighter. As soon as Cliff registered they were vines, more snapped around his arms and waist and started dragging him further down the slope. Once again he tried to struggle and only found himself further entangled. He glanced over his shoulder, down the slope, and saw a menacing creature with a gaping maw filled with snapping teeth at the bottom of the pit. The situation finally registered. He was in deep shit.

"Albel!" Cliff screamed, looking back up the slope to see the Elicoorian watching him coldly. "Damn it, don't just stare! Help me!"

To his horror Albel shook his head and turned away. "Don't you walk away from me! ALBEL!" Cliff growled, as Albel's figure disappeared into the trees. He tried to shout again but found his voice silenced. Not only that, but he could feel poison quickly invading his system. Soon his vision went blurry and despite his best efforts he could hardly move. He struggled as best he could, but it was a losing battle. He was being dragged down to the monster's mouth at an alarming rate. The thing snapped its jaws menacingly, emitting a high-pitched squeal.

Cliff had never felt helpless in his life. He'd always been able to count on his own quick mind, finely honed instincts and almost limitless strength and stamina, but now it seemed his end was near. His life continued to ebb away painfully; the venom taking its death-hold, his thinking reduced to a downward spiral and the vines cutting further into his bleeding flesh. He vaguely observed just how stupid it all was. After all the risks he'd taken in his life, all the seemingly unbeatable opponents he'd fought he was going to meet his doom in the clutches of a mindless monster. His fatal mistake was obvious. He'd given his love and trust to a devil.

_Love._ The word hadn't entered his mind until this point, but now that it had it was a far more cruel pain than his body dying around him. With a ragged exhalation of breath, the last of his physical reserves and will left him. His persistent struggling ended, and he could feel the hot, acrid breath of the monster on the soles of his boots. Cliff let his eyes close, once more wondering why Albel hated him so much and praying that Mirage would somehow forgive his stupidity. His hunch had been wrong this time.

The sound of a struggle interrupted his epitaph. Although he opened his eyes, his vision was too blurred to make much sense out of the rapid movement and the painfully intense blurs of green, red, and purple. The creature gave a death-knell and suddenly the bonds that had already cut through his leather garments and been cutting into his flesh went limp. He heard and felt a blade hack through the vines, expertly missing his flesh.

"Get up," a distorted voice ordered him, something that he assumed to be a foot kicking him when he failed to respond. With a curse from his savior, Cliff felt himself partially lifted from the ground, partially leaning on someone and partially being dragged. He was dropped twice and after the second fall he blacked out.

Cliff came to again when his face was slapped harshly. He groaned, surprised that he could once again use his voice. Before he opened his eyes he assessed the condition of his body quickly. The poison seemed to have been diverged from his system. The bitter taste in his mouth suggested he'd been given an antidote. Despite that, he was still perilously close to death. The poison had already done its work and left him with very little vitality. The slap came again, this time to both cheeks and harder. With a faint yelp, he opened his eyes.

To his utter shock, Albel was looming over him, his face cold and irritated. His vision still lapsed into blurs, but at least he could see. Confusion, pain and rage filled him along with the visage.

"So, you decided to wake up. Here," Albel murmured and thrust some berries into his line of sight. Cliff lolled his head back and forth weakly in a negative. He was still too weak to chew them himself. Even keeping his eyes open seemed a tremendous effort.

Albel sighed in annoyance and cursed, shoving the restorative items into his own mouth and chewing hurriedly. He then forced Cliff's mouth open, placed lips over lips and forced the congealed mass into Cliff's waiting mouth. Albel drew away quickly as Cliff swallowed with a bit of difficulty. The Klausian was relieved to feel his wounds tingling with relief and some of his strength returning to his battered body almost instantaneously.

Albel sat upright and shifted his weight impatiently. "Well? Can you take more yourself now or must I continue to feed you like a mongrel?"

Cliff's relief was overwhelmed once again with a dangerous, simmering fury. "Just give me the fucking berries," he growled. "And basil. I can hardly move."

Albel handed him the items, which Cliff laboriously raised to his mouth and ate, chewing and swallowing quickly. It took one more serving of blueberries after the second dosage for him to finally feel replenished.

"Well," Albel said, finally standing up and brushing himself off disdainfully. "Let's head back to to—wwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnn!"

The final word was stretched as he was suddenly tackled in the midsection, his body hitting the ground with a breath-wrenching thud. Before he could get his wits about him the heavier man had him efficiently pinned and a stone-crushing punch was landed on his jaw.

"You. Tried. To. KILL. Me," Cliff screamed gutturally, following up his first punch with two more.

Albel's world spun in a haze of white pain, stars dancing before his eyes. "S-stop!" He was sickened by the weakness in his own voice. He gasped as the punching ceased, but wrathful fingers closed around his throat.

"Why should I!" Cliff's breathing came in ragged heaves, his vision clouded with red rage. "You fucking bastard, you were going to leave me for dead!"

"But I… saved you… didn't… I…" Albel wheezed, his eyes beginning to bug out from the intense pressure.

Cliff hesitated, taking a few more deep breaths before reluctantly releasing Albel's windpipe and leaning back, still straddling the Elicoorian. "Yes, you did," he admitted, voice still dark and distrustful. Albel inhaled gratefully, sucking the air in greedily. His face and neck felt like they'd been crushed to smithereens, but at least he could breathe now. As Cliff thought about the incident while giving Albel a moment to recover, it really didn't make any sense. Albel had deliberately shoved him into certain death and walked away from his cries for help, only to rescue him at the last moment and then nurse him back to health. "You're not getting out of this," Cliff ground out, once it seemed Albel was able to function again. "You're telling me why."

Albel fell silent, eyes darting as if wishing he could escape the situation.

"You're telling me NOW," Cliff growled, raising his fist back menacingly, "or I'm going to beat you with my bare fucking hands until you're permanently disfigured!"

Albel winced, his body tensing reflexively. He knew that was no empty threat. "What are you asking me?"

Cliff slapped him hard against the temple, the other's avoidance feeding his steadily growing hatred. "I was asking you who cuts your hair. What the HELL do you think I'm asking! I'm asking you why you tried to kill me and why you saved me!"

Albel blinked blurrily, the hit to the temple befuddling him momentarily. "It had to be done. You're a threat to me," he said quietly, feeling emotional pain blending with the physical.

Cliff's eyes narrowed spitefully. "I'm a threat to you? What have I ever done to you? I've always watched your back, tended you when you're ill or injured when nobody else would. Is that threatening to you?"

Albel grimaced, shaking his head slightly. He shivered as he felt Cliff's hands return to his bruising neck, the thumbs gently pressing his chin upwards without constricting his airway.

"Answer me," the blonde growled. "How am I threat to you? I disgust you so much you're afraid of killing yourself just to be rid of me?"

"N-no, you just…"

"You just hate me so much you want me dead?"

"No, I…"

"Someone showing kindness to you sends you into a murderous rage?"

"You make me weak!" Albel finally shouted over Cliff's endless babble. He covered his eyes with his arm, wishing he hadn't admitted it, wishing he could disappear. Above him Cliff shut up, shifting his weight as the words sunk in.

"I make you weak?" he repeated, as if testing how the words sounded to interpret them.

"Yes," Albel replied miserably. "Now let me up. Get off of me." Cliff's fingers tightened slightly around Albel's throat as a reprimand.

"I told you, not until I understand. How do I make you weak?" To his displeasure Albel hesitated to answer, still obscuring his face. "Answer me or I _will _hit you again," Cliff demanded. His manner softened slightly at the sight of Albel's uncharacteristic submissiveness, but his near-death experience was far too fresh in his mind for coddling.

Albel truly didn't want to answer, but as he felt Cliff's weight shift as he prepared a punch, he decided it wiser to speak. "Having feelings for people makes you weak!" Once again he'd let his mouth get ahead of him, and regretted the very breath.

The fingers loosened once more. "You have feelings for me?" Albel didn't need to see his face to read his expression. The words were spoken with incredibility with a slight undercurrent of hope.

"Get off of me," Albel grumbled. This was sure to be the worst day of his life. Hell, the torture chambers seemed like a luxurious alternative.

"You didn't answer my question," Cliff said with obvious exasperation.

"Enough questions get off of m—" Albel's words were cut short by Cliff's lips. This time it was a kiss of testing, slow and deliberate. Though Albel reflexively opened his own mouth, Cliff seemed content with just a brush of lips, sucking on his lower lip before pulling away, leaving Albel far more confused and worked up than if it'd involved tongue and a clashing of teeth.

"Did it ever occur to you that caring about someone could make you stronger, not weaker?" Cliff asked quietly, his fury finally sated. Albel hesitantly pulled away the arm he'd been hiding behind, giving the Klausian an icy glare.

"No. And why should I believe you? That sort of reasoning could only come from your feeble mind."

Cliff graced him with an impish grin. "Well, I am the strongest person you know. So if I were you I'd take my advice. Having someone to believe in, someone worth fighting for can make you stronger than you could imagine. For example, would you have been able to defeat the monster you almost made me a snack for single handedly under normal circumstances?"

Albel thought on that, and knew the answer was 'no' though he didn't respond.

"See, I told ya so." Cliff stood up, to Albel's utter relief. He was sure his bones were going to crack under the strain of the Klausian's weight if he'd been pinned much longer. To his surprise, Cliff's prior anger had seemed to melt away, leaving a foolish smile on the older man's face. He ignored the hand offered to him and got up on his own steam, wincing as the movement refreshed the pain of his Cliff-induced injuries.

"What the hell do you look so happy about, ingrate? I still just tried to kill you," he hissed, applying some salve to his rapidly swelling face.

"Only you would react to the warm and fuzzies in a homicidal fashion," Cliff snorted. "Well, I suppose I'm happy 'cause I finally know I have a chance."

Albel graced him with a look of utter irritation.

"Aww, thank you honey. Your sneer just warms my heart," Cliff teased with only a touch of sarcasm. "Anyway, let's go back to town. I don't want you shoving me down any more holes."

Albel sniffed disdainfully, but followed the retreating black-clothed figure. As the forest continued to press around him, he bit his lip in self-reproach. The secret was out now, and there'd be hell to pay. He could feel blood rising to his face as he imagined the torturous days facing him. He frowned thoughtfully at the back of Cliff's neck. Unwittingly he'd chosen his path this day, little had he known this morning that it'd be the opposite one he'd planned.

To be continued…

**A/N:** Sorry kids! I was planning to throw in some rough jungle-sex after the attempted murder, but as I was writing the chapter it just didn't seem appropriate. Of course, now that Professor Cliff has the green light, he'll be putting Albel through some rigorous "healthy ways to express affection that do not involve murder" studies, mwahahaha! Sorry that all of my updates are taking so long! Please have patience with me! If you really want to burn me in effigy, go ahead… but it probably won't get the chapters out faster. Thank you to my readers! I hope you have turned to the CliffAlbel side, my young apprentices! I'm planning on two more smut-filled chapters for this fic. Once again, I'll be happy to hear suggestions for another SO3 fic to start on after I'm done… the only problem is that I have two s.CRY.ed fics and a Harry Potter fic also in the works, so it might be a bit, unless I'm very inspired! Thanks again


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